Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2016 Audi S8 VS 2016 Mercedes E63 Near Phoenix, AZ

Both the S8 and E63 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The E63’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The E63 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the S8 helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The E63 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the S8 and the E63 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The S8’s corrosion warranty is 8 years and unlimited miles longer than the E63’s (12/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

The S8’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 28 more horsepower (605 vs. 577) than the E63’s 5.5 turbo V8.

On the EPA test cycle the S8 Plus gets better fuel mileage than the E63 S-Model Sedan (16 city/26 hwy vs. 15 city/22 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down half of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the S8’s fuel efficiency. The E63 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the S8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The E63 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

For better stopping power the S8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the E63:

The S8 stops shorter than the E63:

For better traction, the S8 has larger standard tires than the E63 (265/35R21 vs. 255/35R19). The S8’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the E63 (275/35R21 vs. 255/35R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Only 19-inch wheels are available on the E63.

The front and rear suspension of the S8 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the E63, which uses coil springs in front. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the S8’s wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the E63 Sedan (117.8 inches vs. 113.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the S8 is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the E63.

The S8 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The E63 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The S8 has .1 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the E63 Sedan.

The S8 has a much larger trunk than the E63 Sedan (14.2 vs. 12.9 cubic feet).

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the S8’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The E63’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The E63 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The E63 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the S8 has standard extendable sun visors. The E63 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

On extremely cold Winter days, the S8’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The E63 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The S8 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the S8 will retain 41.35% of its original price after five years, while the E63 only retains 40.76% to 40.96%.